Covid-19 update: 10,008 new cases, 190 more deaths confirmed

As of Sunday, 8 August, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases in South Africa is 2,533,466 with 10,008 new cases identified, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed.

This represents a 22,8% positivity rate.

190 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported, bringing the total number of deaths to 74,813.

The total number of recoveries stood at 2,297,974 with a recovery rate of 90,7%.

15,257,317 tests in total have been conducted to date in both public and private sectors. The country also has 160,679 active cases.

The total number of vaccines administered in the country so far stands at 8,588,454.

Provincial breakdown

The majority of new Covid-19 cases came from Western Cape (29%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (23%) and Gauteng (17%).

Meanwhile, Eastern Cape accounted for 8%; Mpumalanga accounted for 7%; North West accounted for 5%; Free State & Northern Cape each accounted for 4% respectively; and Limpopo accounted for 2% of Sunday’s new cases.

A further 75 hospital admissions were reported in the past 24 hours.

Global developments

Record deaths in Iran

Iran reports over 500 daily Covid deaths for the first time, its health ministry announces, as new infections also hit a record high.

Saudi Arabia to reopen borders

Saudi Arabia will begin accepting vaccinated foreigners wanting to make the umrah pilgrimage, authorities announce, a move that will boost an economy hit by the Covid pandemic.

Brisbane lockdown to end

Australia’s third-largest city of Brisbane will lift a lockdown after containing a virus cluster, but an outbreak that has kept Sydney paralysed for weeks continues to grow.

Epidemic eases in DR Congo

Congolese authorities say the epidemic has eased in many parts of the country but remain worrying in the economic capital of Lubumbashi where not wearing a mask will now be punishable by up to seven days in jail.

Brunei clamps down

Brunei imposes strict curbs to halt the spread of Covid-19, after finding its first locally transmitted cases in over a year. 

French health pass arriving

France’s controversial health pass comes into force Monday, despite another weekend of protests, with nearly a quarter of a million people marching across the country against its imposition.

Over 4.2 million dead

The coronavirus pandemic has killed at least 4,287,427 people worldwide since the virus first emerged in late 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data. 

The US is the worst-affected country with 616,718 deaths, followed by Brazil with 562,752, India with 427,862, Mexico with 244,248 and Peru with 196,873.